How to get the deposit back for your student house

How to get the deposit back for your student house
What is a deposit?
What's a damage deposit?
What's a holding deposit?
Is a security deposit the same as a holding deposit?
If I've paid rent in advance, is that the same as a deposit?
How to make sure your deposit is protected 🔐
What is fair wear and tear?
Student house move-in checklist
Do I lose my student house deposit for things my housemates did?

The deposit for your student house is a lot of money to pay all at once, but the good news is you can get it back! Find out what you need to pay and how to get it back at the end of your tenancy with these easy tips from the experts.

What is the deposit for my student house?

A deposit is a payment you need to make before you move into your private rental or university accommodation. The exact amount will be covered in your tenancy agreement.

The most common type is a damage deposit or a security deposit.

What's a damage deposit?

A damage deposit is money you pay to your your letting agent or landlord to cover any damage or unpaid rent at the end of your tenancy. If you leave your student house in good condition and you're not in rent arrears, you get it back when you move out.

This type of deposit means the person who owns the property you're living in is protected from loss or damage.

What's a holding deposit?

A holding deposit is money you pay to make sure the property you're applying for isn't let to anybody else. This is only legal in England and Wales, and you can't be charged more than one week's rent. Usually once you've signed your tenancy agreement, the holding deposit will come off the first month's rent or your security deposit.

How much is an average holding deposit or security deposit?

Between £86-£104 a month, according to average rent figures from Save the Student the average rent for a student in the UK at the moment is £418 a month, so a week's rent would be between £86 and £104 a month. This will vary depending on the type of student accommodation you choose, where it's located, and how many people are on your joint tenancy agreement.

Is a security deposit the same as a holding deposit?

Nope! A security deposit is used to cover the property owner against any damage or unpaid rent, a holding deposit is to secure the property while you go through the application process. Usually, the holding deposit is taken off what you owe for your first month of rent or your damage deposit.

If I've paid rent in advance, is that the same as a deposit?

Nope! Rent in advance is just what it sounds like. It covers your first month of rent costs.

There's no legal limit to how much rent you can be asked for in advance, but most student rentals ask for one month because student finances are tight and they don't often have that much cash lying around.

How paying rent in advance for your student house works:

Payment of rent in advance for a tenancy that starts on September 15th, you don't need to make another rent payment until October 15th assuming you paid one month in advance.

How to make sure your student house deposit is protected 🔐

It's pretty intimidating to rent for the first time, but there are a couple of things you can educate yourself on to make sure you're not taken advantage of by any dodgy agents or landlords!

A private landlord could be anybody who owns a property and chooses to rent it out. The vast majority aren't out to try and cheat you out of your deposit, but you don't want to take any chances and a deposit protection scheme protects you and the landlord. 

Don't take our word for it, listen to Kristian, who managed private rentals for more than 6 years!

"I'd really emphasise to students how important it is to make sure your deposit is correctly registered with a recognised government deposit scheme. This makes sure their deposit is safe throughout their tenancy,  and deposit deductions can't be taken without their permission. This protects them when it comes to the end of their tenancy as well, if there are any deductions this gives them the ability to challenge."

A landlord or letting agent can make reasonable deductions from your deposit for any damage. You're able to dispute any deductions that don't seem reasonable, or that are for damage you didn't cause.

Tenancy deposit protection schemes

All deposits you pay in the UK have to be protected by a government-approved deposit protection scheme. This means you get your deposit back if you:

• Follow your tenancy agreement
• Keep the property in good condition
• Pay your bills and any other agreed expenses

Your letting agent or landlord has to put your deposit into a scheme no later than 30 days after you pay it. 

Your letting agent or landlord has to put your deposit into a scheme no later than 30 days after you pay it.In England and Wales, your deposit can be registered with one of three deposit scheme providers: Deposit Protection Service, Tenancy Deposit Scheme, or MyDeposits. There are different schemes in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

How to get the deposit back for your student house

There are a few things you can do to make sure you get your deposit back and avoid deposit disputes. 

Student house deposit advice from an expert:

• Get everything back to the state it was in on move-in day
  • Move out all of your stuff
  • That includes food in the kitchen, toiletries in the bathroom, everything.
• Do a deep clean (or hire a deep-cleaning service)
• You should get an list/inventory of everything that's in your student house at the beginning of your tenancy
  
  • This gives both sides evidence if there's a a dispute at the end of your tenancy.
• If you don't get an inventory, ask for one and check that it's actually right!
  • If anything is out of date, or just not correct, you need to sort that straight away so there's no room for arguments later.
  • If you didn't get one at the start, it's not too late. Your letting agent should have one of these, so ask for it now so you can check everything is okay. 
• Take pictures of any damage or wear of carpets, walls, furniture, etc. that's there when you move in.
  • Send these to your agent now so they have them with a time stamp. This will make sure you don't have to pay for them later.
• Basically, tenants should always try their best to return the property back to the agent/landlord in the condition they found it (with fair wear and tear taken into account)

Student house deposit advice from an expert:

• You should get an list/inventory of everything that's in your student house at the beginning of your tenancy
  • This gives both sides evidence if there's a dispute at the end of your tenancy.
• If you don't get an inventory, ask for one and check that it's actually right!
  • If anything is out of date, or just not correct, you need to sort that straight away so there's no room for arguments later.
• Take pictures of any damage or wear of carpets, walls, furniture, etc. that's there when you move in.
  • Send these to your agent now so they have them with a time stamp. This will make sure you don't have to pay for them later.
• Basically, tenants should always try their best to return the property back to the agent/landlord in the condition they found it (with fair wear and tear taken into account)

What is fair wear and tear for your student house?

Most student house tenancy agreements mention "fair wear and tear", basically saying that it won't count against you when it comes to getting your deposit back when you move out. 

Basically, this means that any natural wear and tear on carpets, appliances, and anything else in the property won't lose you your deposit. 

The problem is that this is a super vague way to define anything, and what a tenant sees as fair wear and tear, a property manager can call damage. There's no legal definition to help out, either.

It's really important to get some guidance right at the start of your tenancy as to what on earth is meant by "fair wear and tear" by the people who'll be checking your flat at the end of your tenancy. There isn't one universal definition 🙄

Checklist for when you move in to your student house:

• Get an inventory and check it's right
• Get a definition of "wear and tear" from your letting agent 
• Take pictures of any existing damage
• Take a video or pictures that cover every single area of the flat or house.
  • This means inside of cupboards, in the fridge, skirting boards, everything.
  • Get everybody to do their own bedroom, though!
• Check out our student moving guide for more advice and a playlist 👀

Can I lose my student house deposit for things my housemates did?

Potentially, yes. If you have a joint tenancy agreement, you're all equally responsible for the damage. This means that you'll all pay a portion of the damages if one of you stains the carpet or puts a hole in the sofa, or anything else. This also applies for missed rent.

Your tenancy agreement will have all of the detail you need, so make sure you check it. Your letting agent should be happy to explain any of this to you!

Citizens Advice has some great advice (obviously!) about problems in shared accommodation.

Check out how to avoid arguments in your student house.

Is there anything else I need to know about my student house deposit?

There are tons of things to cover when it comes to student housing. 

Sorting student bills is our area of expertise, but thankfully there are amazing resources like Accommodation for Students who can help out with tons of other stuff too!

Need help making other bits of uni life easier? Check these out:

The ultimate guide to student bills
Guide to student finances
How to save money at uni
How to pay your bills for your student house
The ultimate guide to your next student house
The ultimate student broadband guide